I look at it, to some degree, in the same way that they have categorized homicides (first degree, manslaughter).
It assigns an underlying intention to the act in a similar way as premeditation does in the case of murder.
Now, I guess application will be interesting when a jock kicks a computer geeks ass and they try to apply it, lol.
In the end though, if some attacks or kills someone, and they can prove that they had some underlying motivation based on ethnicity, sexual
orientation or what not, then I don't really have a problem with them giving a harsher sentence. But that's just me.

